Roman Mendez

Nate Rowan, the PR director for the Twins’ Triple-A affiliate in Rochester, announced today that Minnesota has agreed to a minor league deal with outfielder Nick Buss (Twitter link). Buss, 31, has made cameos with the Dodgers and Angels over the past four years, totaling a .180/.229/.300 slash in a tiny sample of 110 plate appearances. However, he mashed at a .348/.395/.541 clip in Triple-A this past season and is a lifetime .307/.364/.461 hitter in parts of five seasons at that level. He can play all three outfield spots and picked up a handful of games at first base in 2017 as well.

Right-hander Dylan Floro has agreed to a minor league deal with the Reds, per SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo (Twitter link). Floro was twice designated for assignment by the Cubs in 2017 and claimed off waivers by the Dodgers following that second DFA. However, the Dodgers designated him for assignment themselves just a few weeks later upon acquiring Curtis Granderson. Floro became a minor league free agent at season’s end and will bring to Cincinnati a career 5.11 ERA with a 20-to-7 K/BB ratio in 24 1/3 MLB innings. In 242 2/3 innings of work in Triple-A, Floro has a 4.38 ERA with 5.9 K/9 against 1.5 BB/9. A ground-ball specialist, Floro has regularly posted ground-ball percentages in the upper 50s and low 60s throughout his minor league tenure and has a career 52.8 percent mark in his brief MLB tenure.

Earlier Moves

The Nationals have added a pair of hurlers on minor-league deals, according to Cotillo (also via Twitter). Righty Roman Mendez and lefty Logan Darnell will both join the D.C. organization, though it’s unclear at this point whether either will receive an invitation to MLB camp. Both have seen some MLB action, though neither has an extensive track record and the pair hasn’t touched the bigs for a few seasons. Mendez spent some time with Japan’s Hanshin Tigers in 2017, but only threw 9 2/3 innings. In 2016, he worked to a 3.38 ERA in 64 Triple-A frames. As for Darnell, who’ll soon turn 29, he spent the ’17 campaign outside the Twins organization for the first time. The long-time minor-league starter appeared with the Rays’ Double-A affiliate, the indy ball Somerset Patriots, and in the Venezuean winter league, allowing between 3.81 and 3.98 earned runs per nine at each of those stops. In 359 1/3 lifetime innings at Triple-A, Darnell owns a 3.51 ERA with 6.3 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9.

A few notes on some former big leaguers that have agreed to new deals overseas…

Left-hander David Huff is returning to the LG Twins of the Korea Baseball Organization after enjoying a strong half-season there in 2016, the team announced. Huff, who has pitched in the Majors for the Indians, Giants, Yankees, Dodgers and Angels, will receive a $1.4MM guarantee with another $300K worth of incentives. The 32-year-old made 13 starts in Korea last year, logging a 3.13 ERA with a 46-to-9 K/BB ratio in 77 2/3 innings in his run with LG.

Former Cubs righty Brian Schlitter has signed a deal with Japan’s Seibu Lions, the team announced earlier this month. He’ll take home about $700K in his first foray into Asia, per a report out of Japan. The 30-year-old spent parts of three seasons with the Cubs from 2012-15 but struggled to a 5.40 ERA In 71 2/3 innings in the Majors. He spent the 2016 season with the Rockies’ Triple-A affiliate, logging a 3.64 ERA with 9.2 K/9 against 4.5 BB/9 in 42 innings in an extremely hitter-friendly setting.

Former Rangers righty Roman Mendez has also signed on in Japan, where he’ll join the Hanshin Tigers, per Nikkan Sports. The 26-year-old hasn’t appeared in the Majors since 2015 but has a 3.09 ERA in 46 2/3 big league innings. He spent 2016 pitching with Boston’s Triple-A affiliate and recorded a 3.38 ERA with 8.3 K/9 against 3.8 BB/9 in 64 innings of work.

With all the big moves and rumors from the Winter Meetings grabbing the headlines, here are a few lower-tier transactions from around the baseball world…

The Red Sox announced that right-hander Roman Mendez has cleared waivers and been outrighted to Triple-A. Mendez was designated for assignment last week to make room for outfielder Chris Young on Boston’s roster. Mendez made three appearances for the Sox after being claimed from the Rangers in September. The righty owns a 94mph fastball and has a 3.09 ERA in 46 2/3 career Major League innings, though that ERA is belied by some very unfavorable peripheral numbers, particularly in his 2014 stint with Texas.

The Mariners signed righty Donn Roach to a minor league contract, the Tacoma News Tribune’s Bob Dutton reports (Twitter link). The deal contains an invitation to the Mariners’ big league Spring Training camp. Roach has a 5.35 ERA in 33 2/3 career innings and appeared in just one MLB game in 2015. Roach, who turns 26 later this week, pitched for three organizations (the Blue Jays, Cubs and Reds) last season.

The Phillies announced that southpaw Joely Rodriguez has been outrighted to Triple-A. Rodriguez, acquired from Pittsburgh in exchange for Antonio Bastardo last winter, posted a 6.12 ERA, 5.1 K/9 and 1.3 K/BB rate over 129 1/3 innings split between Double-A and Triple-A in 2015.

The Red Sox have designated righty Roman Mendez for assignment, the club announced. His roster spot was needed to clear space for outfielder Chris Young, whose signing was made official.

Mendez, 25, was claimed late last season from the Rangers. He has tallied 46 2/3 MLB innings over the last two years, working to a 3.09 ERA but posting a mediocre strikeout-to-walk rate of 6.2 K/9 against 4.8 BB/9. Mendez spent most of 2015 at Triple-A Round Rock, working to a 3.45 ERA with 9.1 K/9 against 3.8 BB/9 over 57 1/3 frames.

The Red Sox have claimed righty Roman Mendez off waivers from the Rangers, Boston announced (h/t to Tim Britton of the Providence Journal, on Twitter). A 40-man spot was cleared by placing Koji Uehara on the 60-day DL.

Mendez, 25, was designated by Texas earlier this month as part of the team’s September call-up plan. While he was able to put up 33 innings of 2.18 ERA pitching in his MLB debut last year, that success was not supported by the peripherals and he was knocked around in his brief big league action in 2015.

Now, Mendez will head back to Boston, which originally shipped him to Texas as part of the return for Jarrod Saltalamacchia. Mendez has put up better strikeout-to-walk numbers in the minors , including 8.5 K/9 against 2.8 BB/9 over 67 Triple-A innings, and the Red Sox will hope that he can make the final step in his development and become a big league contributor.

The Rangers have designated right-hander Roman Mendez for assignment, tweets Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News. Additionally, left-hander Alex Claudio has been recalled from Triple-A Round Rock and placed on the Major League 60-day disabled list to clear another 40-man roster spot. The Rangers have announced that those roster spots will go to Drew Stubbs and Ross Ohlendorf. Additionally, Joey Gallo and Luke Jackson.

The 25-year-old Mendez has totaled 11 2/3 innings with the Rangers in 2015, working to a sub-par 5.40 ERA with nine strikeouts against seven walks (one intentional). He did enjoy success in 2014, posting an excellent 2.18 ERA over the life of 33 innings, although that strong mark came with underwhelming peripherals. Mendez averaged 6.0 K/9 against 4.6 BB/9 last year, benefiting from a minuscule and unsustainable .194 BABIP (to say nothing of a bloated 86 percent strand rate).

Claudio, 23, has a 2.89 ERA with 8.7 K/9, 3.2 BB/9 and a 54.3 percent ground-ball rate. He’s been slowed by injuries in 2015, but he could potentially be a lefty specialist for Texas in future seasons. He’s held lefties to a .212/.250/.365 batting line over the course of his career, but he’s been roughed up by righties, who have knocked him around at a .273/.359/.473 clip.